Biden says more must be done to end domestic violence

Vice President Joe Biden says that if he could wave a wand and end one thing, that would be domestic violence.

KAREN McDONALD

Vice President Joe Biden says that if he could wave a wand and end one thing, that would be domestic violence.

Absent a magic stick, Biden pledged commitment to domestic violence and abuse awareness at Wednesday's annual Partners in Peace Celebration sponsored by The Center for Prevention of Abuse. To back that up, he announced a proposed $130.5 million increase in federal funding to combat violence against women in the fiscal 2011 budget.

"Not withstanding the budget deficit, we believe there is nothing that is more important," Biden told the sold-out crowd of about 1,100 at the Peoria Civic Center in a speech that lasted nearly an hour.

"This is about educating the whole society. There's been progress. But I have always said that once we got to the White House we would step it up even more. The problem is still with us today."

Biden, then a U.S. senator from Delaware, was a key player in the 1994 Crime Bill and Violence Against Women Act, from which funding was used to open the Peoria County Family Justice Center, a one-stop shop for services and support. Since then, VAWA has spent $4 billion to improve nation's response to domestic violence and sexual assault.

In tough economic times, it becomes more difficult for victims to escape violence. At the same time, state budgets are being slashed and resources are scarce and domestic violence programs tend to fall off. The demand is rising while the availability of services is shrinking, Biden said.

"We need to nourish and support more programs like yours," he said of The Center for Prevention of Abuse.

The proposed 2011 budget provides $730 million to combat violence against women, bolstering current funding and responding to emerging needs of communities. That includes money for victim resources, emergency shelters and national hotlines and helplines to ensure calls are answered.

It provides $30 million in VAWA funding for victims of sexual assault, a $15 million increase from the previous year, and $50 million for legal assistance for victims, a $9 million increase from the previous year, among other increases, according to a White House adviser.

Biden said more victims are coming forward to report violence now than ever with a national crisis hotline and other advancements in "breaking the silence."

"But it's only a start. We need to unclog the backlog of testing in DNA rape cases," Biden said.

Before the original 1994 legislation passed, Biden said, three hurdles had to be cleared: the belief that domestic violence is "a family matter; a culture that blames the victim; and credibility - the belief that "if the woman didn't report it, it must not have happened."

"Together we're going to change this system once and for all. To free (women) from the oppressive cultural norm that causes them in any way to feel they're responsible for or contributed to their own abuse," Biden said.

This is Biden's fourth visit to Illinois since becoming vice president, and his first this year.